Your Echo Is My Only Friend
by simplynotmyselff
Summary: Jeff died from an accident two months ago. You'd think he went to heaven, but he's stuck. Stuck because his boyfriend, Nick, won't let him go. Will Jeff ever get the chance move on?


Jeff slowly moved towards the desk. As he sat down his eyes stayed focused on the figure that was moving, uneased, under the sheets. His face flushed scarlet. Sweat dripping from the dark brown locks that fell over the boy's closed eyes.

Jeff listened as the boy quietly called out his name over and over again. He tried to swallow the imaginairy lump stuck in his troath. "Jeffery." There was it again. Jeff pulled a hand through his platinum blond hair. It was so blond that it almost lit up in the dark.

A painful smile appeared on Jeff's lips. Nick would always say that when he slept next to the boy. _Nicky…_ Jeff looked over to the boy again. He pushed himself up by his hands and moved over to the bed. Carefully watching the other boy struggling in his dream, or in this case, his nightmare.

Jeff carefully leaned over, reaching out his pale arm, flicking on the light on the nightstand.

He couldn't do anything but to stare at the boy. _Nick. His Nick._ "Jeff, please." The blond all but wanted to reach out and touch his boyfriend. To comfort him. To say: "Don't worry, Nicky. Everything is going to be alright.", to hold him and tell him in all honesty that he would never leave. But all of that wouldn't make a difference. None of that would make the reality of this less painful.

All Jeff was able to do was just stand here, on the side of Nick's bed, and watch his boyfriend break down in his sleep. "Don't go!"

The shivers appeared. Cold, heavy shivers that reminded Jeff why he was here. He was here to leave. To make Nick understand so he could leave. So he wouldn't be alone in a world full of people.

He was here to find closure so he could move on, and follow the light. But he coudn't. Not as long as the boy lying in this bed didn't wanted him to. Jeff was to convince Nick that he was ready to let Jeff go.

Jeff had watched for two months how Nick was coping with his death. He'd watched as his coffin was lowered into the ground, Nick broke out in tears that he had kept hidden so well during the funeral.

He watched him during Warbler practice, staring at the spot that used to be Jeff's. He watched as the other Warblers tried to hold Nick together but as soon as Nick was alone in room number '36' that he shared with Jeff, Nick lost it.

He'd seen the many sleepless nights where his boyfriend would just sit on Jeff's bed and cry, stare at the picture of the both of them on Jeff's nightstand or in the worst occasion; sing.

Those were the moments when Jeff would leave. Not that it mattered, because the echo of Nick's voice haunted him no matter where he was. And it killed Jeff.

Jeff let out a painful chuckle. _It killed him_, sure, like he wasn't dead already…

Suddenly, Nick stopped struggling under the sheets and Jeff knew he was bound to wake from his nightmare any moment.

And Jeff was right, not even a minute later, Nick's eyes flew open. He immediately snuggled in his duvel, hiding from the icy feeling that washed over him. He wanted to turn, but the ache in his heart told him not to.

It was as if he felt someone staring down at him. And while Nick refused to turn, Jeff was begging him to. Not that Nick would see him, but he needed to talk with Nick.

'_Talk'_ Jeff thought. The blond turned his hazel eyes towards the nightstand that once belonged to him. The glistering of the glass photoframe that held a picture of Jeff and Nick. The photo was taken by Trent on their "first date" at the fair.

Suddenly, Nick spun around. His dark eyes fixed on the light just behind Jeff. Nick didn't remembered leaving it on. With a shiver, Nick sat up straight, wrapping the duvel tighthly around him. "J-Jeff?"

Jeff nodded. _'Nick realized'_, he thought. The blond finally sat down on the bed. This movement caused another flow of cold air to reach Nick, who's eyes were still focussing on that light on his nightstand.

Nick's hand was only inches away from Jeff and it took all of Jeff's self control not to reach out and grab it. He knew he was unable to feel Nick's hand. It was nothing but air.

Jeff found out as he was wandering through the corridors of Dalton Academy. He had found Sebastian sitting alone in the common room, studying for his French exam. Like he needed it, Jeff had thought as he sat down on the couch, watching the Warbler lead, the boy was practically half French.

Jeff had decided he'd scare Sebastian as payback for all the times he'd let the Warblers, including Jeff, suffer during practice. But when Jeff had put his hands on the boy's shoulders he had realized he wasn't touching him. Jeff had tried multiplied times. On Sebastians shoulders, pinch him in the sides or kick his legs, but there was nothing but thin air.

Even when Jeff got so frustrated that he tried to poke Sebastian's eyes out. The Warbler had just sat there, quietly humming along to Indian Summer. That's when Jeff gave up and realized he was really alone.

Jeff turned to Nick who was now directly looking at him, without knowing. Jeff started to speak, praying that Nick could at least hear him. "Nicky…" Jeff carefully studied Nick's face but there was no sign that told Jeff he'd heard him. Still Jeff continued. "Nicholas, I know you can't hear me but I want you to understand that it's ok. You can let go." Nick turned his face to the nightstand across the room, glancing at the photoframe. His brain was in 'speed' mode, his subconscious taking in every word the invisible boy next to him spoke.

"I want you to know that I'm ok and I'm ready Nick." Tears started rolling down Jeff's face. "Nicky, I'm ready to let go. I'm hurting you and it has to stop… I have to go."

Nick's subconscious was listening. Nick stood up from his bed and moved over to Jeff's taking the photo in his shaky hands.

Jeff followed, eyes still wet because he felt like he was talking to a wall.

"Jeffery." Jeff was startled by Nick's voice. It sounded different from before. Stronger and without fear. "Jeff, I know you're here…". For the first time in a long time Jeff felt relieved. He moved past his boyfriend, placing his hand on the photo frame.

Nick felt this as a tug on the frame and he looked down at the frame with a small smile.

There were no words spoken. Both of them stayed silent, though aware of the presense of the other. It felt like eternity before Nick tugged the frame from Jeff's hand and moved back to his bed, lying down in his earlier postition, this time facing the light. A sad smile on his face that spoke a thousand words.

Jeff moved back to the bed too. He leaned down over his boyfriend and placed one last kiss on the side of his head, even though none of them felt it. "It's time, Nicky." Nick closed his eyes, pulling the photoframe close to his chest where his heart was beating faster than usual.

Jeff stepped back getting one last look at the boy who cared so much for him. The boy who picked him up whenever he was down. Who protected him from all that was bad. The boy who had promised they'd grow old together, have two kids, a nice appartment with a backyard. The only boy who Jeff had ever loved. The boy who he had shared so many first times with.

His first kiss on the frozen grounds of Dalton when Wes and David had pushed the both of them down in the snow.

His first time on that beautiful summer night at the beach house of Nick's parents, that Nick had dragged him along to. When Jeff had finally spoken the three words: I love you.

The fight they had, that night at one of the many 'Warbler Night Out''s, when Jeff was too drunk to function and accidently kissed Blaine when he meant to kiss Nick.

For three years, since Freshman year the two of them had stood strong. Them against the world. Nick and Jeff. Jeff and Nick.

And now it was time to let go.

Nick's eyes stayed close, signaling that the boy would soon fall asleep. "I love you Nicky." Jeff whispered, backing away from the bed.

As if Nick had heard Jeff spoke he replied: "I love you Jeffy." And silence fell over the room. Nick was asleep, his boyfriend still watching over him.

Jeff noticed the room lighting up, telling Jeff that the time has come. With a nod Jeff stepped back and as his gaze broke away from Nick he opened the door. Nick's voice echoing in the back of his mind, until he closed the door.

Darkness.

Silence.

Closure.

It was over.

Jeff was gone.


End file.
